Hospital gowns, as well as other garments that may be used by nursing mothers, have been known for many years. Hospital gowns are typically formed from a unitary piece of material that is releasably fastened in the back. The gown may be opened to facilitate access to the patient for various medical procedures, observation, and the like. Since the gown opens in the back, the patient's backside may be exposed and the use of a robe, an undergarment, or other similar covering may be required for adequate coverage of the patient.
One problem with typical gowns is that a nursing mother may desire privacy during nursing of a child. Some designs, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,182,813 to Booze, may incorporate apertures formed in a gown that are covered when a child is not nursing by pleats formed therein. However, such pleats may open to reveal the breast and may not provide adequate coverage of the nursing mother. Other gowns known in the art open in the front of the patient and facilitate the exposure of the breast for nursing. Such gowns require the entire chest and abdomen of a nursing mother to be revealed and do not provide adequate privacy. Further, the nursing child is also exposed during nursing.
It would be desirable to develop a patient gown having an outer gown releasably fastened in a front thereof and providing an inner jacket releasably fastened to an interior of the outer gown, the outer gown and inner jacket cooperating to provide adequate coverage of the patient, as well as coverage of a child, during nursing.